I started digging my way through the 2 terabytes or so of uncut, backlogged video I have to process. Behind every folder is something I have forgotten that I filmed, and I am uncovering some really fun stuff!

Here’s a handful of clips from when Greggity and I flew the famous mockingbird from Columbus, OH to Hampton, VA for the Phish reunion shows on March 6-8, 2009. The clips I had sitting in a folder were, in order:

Army of OneWilsonDown with Disease JAMContactTweezer Reprise

Enjoy! Also check out Greg and I chatting with Chris Kuroda, Phish’s lighting designer, during the Hampton 2009 run, all four parts:

So Jeff sent me this yesterday. I then promptly stood up, stretched my legs and arms, and tried to kick myself right in the ass for missing the opportunity to see this happen live. DAMN YOU, REAL LIFE!

I’ve written about a friend of mine, a good writer and an even better lighting designer – Jeff Waful – a bunch on JimOnLight.com. I’ve written about Jeff’s work with Umphrey’s McGee, I’ve written about Jeff’s television show, Jeff Waful +1, and I’ve written about just talking with Jeff about life, light, and design in general. Jeff just had an amazing interview with a lighting designer that both Jeff and I think very highly of in general, Chris Kuroda. You have to check it out.

What makes this interview different is that Jeff talks with Chris about life and light, but mostly about living on the road as a lighting designer. This is an interview that Jeff should be very proud of, because I think he nailed it.

After a marathon week, I am back in the saddle at the Light Associated Media Headquarters in Oklahoma City! A 15 hour drive from Columbus, OH to OKC happened a few days ago, and after sleeping off the remnants of that, I have my buddy Greg in town, hanging out and restoring some peace. After the crazy schedule of working through the semester and trying to figure out how to do all that needs to be done, it’s time for a switching UP in gears.

You know how I spell relief after a hell schedule? P-H-I-S-H. Greg and I went to Blossom Music Center in Cleveland to see one of the shows on the summer tour – I had plans to interview Chris Kuroda again, but Phish’s media people never got back to me regarding the interview. Sorry folks. I know a lot of you had requested a second set of interviews with Chris, but I guess they’re too busy to accomodate me. Regardless, the show was amazing, the band was fantastic, and the tour seems to be going very, very well. Kuroda’s driving a pretty fun rig, and he seems to be having a lot of fun with it!

The rig, post show for detail:

aaaaaaaaaaand while being driven:

I’m not gonna run my mouth here much about the show, I think the few shots I got from my point-and-shoot (damned camera thieves) speak volumes. There is some video coming, stay tuned!

A gallery view is below – click on a shot, and a gallery opens up! Enjoy! Also, did you go to the show? Drop a comment below, tell the world what you thought of the lighting!

And, in true pot reference fashion, a pre-view performance is going to take place in 9 cities on April 20 (or 420 to those of you who are still not getting the reference). None of them are DALLAS, though. GAA!

It’s no secret that I am a Phish fan. I love the innovative and creative grooves that “the boys” lay down every night, and as a lighting designer, I am always a huge fan of what Chris Kuroda is doing behind the lighting desk. I was at the Hampton Run and interviewed Phish lighting designer Chris Kuroda, but I’ve missed everything else. When I’m at LDI, they’ll be playing in Cincinnati. Foiled again!

I read this blog called Hidden Track, from Glide Magazine – a Youtube user named gdoucette78 has uploaded some amazing multicamera videos of the Red Rocks run from Phish at the end of July. I love having videos of live shows because of the ability to see how certain songs were treated with respect to light and orchestration of the cues – it’s like having the ability to research that moment in lighting time!

I have attached a video below from gdoucette78’s list – he has a ton of videos from that weekend. If you enjoy the music and want to see some cool lighting, check out the rest of his videos. Thanks for posting these!

(this video is of the song “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” or 2001. This might be one of my favorite “lighting songs” of all time)

I got an email from Jefferson Waful from Jambands a few days ago – Jefferson interviewed Chris Kuroda (lighting director for Phish) this summer at Verizon Amphitheater in Noblesville, Indiana during the famed “delay show,” where fans were treated to a huge downpour, causing the show to be delayed for quite a while. This was one heck of a storm, apparently – I am resisting making some joke about how Phish is so excellent that they bring about storms and… yeah, bad joke, I’ll leave it.

As much as I am sad about not going to see Phish again this summer, Sweden is much more important. I have been checking out what Chris Kuroda has been doing so far this summer, and I’ve been digging it. Here’s a few videos to start your day – if you don’t like Phish, enjoy the lighting! Some of this stuff is steady, and some of it is shaky, a la Blair Witch.